-Jim Harbaugh made the case and kept making the case all the way into today’s 49ers opener vs. Green Bay: He says the rules that allow defenders to hit the quarterback as if he’s a runner when he’s faking or making hand-offs are “flawed and biased” against Read Option QBs.

That’s almost certainly a tactical move by Harbaugh specifically for the Packers, since some Green Bay defensive players have been open about their desire to hit Kaepernick and keep hitting him if the 49ers go into the Read Option…

But it’s clearly also Harbaugh’s play to try to re-shape the discussion and keep Kaepernick (and other Read Option QBs) protected for the long haul, though I doubt Harbs is that concerned about Russell Wilson, Robert Griffin III and whoever else.

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He needs Kaepernick protected–hey, if Colt McCoy was your back-up you’d be worried, too–and since the Read Option is such an explosive weapon when Kaepernick is in there, Harbaugh wants the officials to be looking out for over-aggressive defenders.
And Harbaugh wouldn’t mind it if defenders are worried about over-aggressive flag-throwers and maybe hesitate a split-second and we know that Kaepernick can go 50 yards in a split-second (or something like that).

–It’ll be interesting to hear what Harbaugh says about how much or how little defenders should be allowed to hit Wilson next week when the 49ers travel to Seattle, but oh well, that’s next week, and you never know with Harbaugh Rhetoric.

–I know what DC Vic Fangio will say about hitting Wilson because Fangio already said it: QBs can be hit in the Read Option because they’re presenting themselves as runners (whether they’re faking the hand-off or giving it up) and runners can be hit.

That’s my belief, too, and that’s clearly the NFL’s belief as league officials have clarified the last few weeks.

I disagree with Harbaugh’s point here, though he has every right to speak his mind and even more right to try to influence the way referees and maybe even the league thinks about the gray area of when a QB is fair game for rough-and-tumble hits.
My argument is the one that the league is currently employing: If a QB is running the Read Option, he is INDUCING the defense to think he will run–sometimes he runs, sometimes he hands off, sometimes he might even keep it and pass–and an offense can’t have it both ways:

-If the QB is presenting himself as a runner or a fake-runner, he can’t also get the protection the NFL specifically gives to passers.

-The Read Option is designed to confuse defenses by offering the QB as a potential runner, so the price the offense pays for creating that confusion is that the QB might get hit a split-second after he hands it off.

Iif you’re trying to get the defense off-balance because they have to play the QB as a runner–because he might blow through the entire 11 defenders if they don’t play him as a runner–you can’t cry when defenses try to hit him as hard as they try to hit Adrian Peterson.

That’s sort of their job, you know?

The Read Option all but dares the defense to go after the QB… and oops, now the RB has it! That’s the whole point.

If you remove hitting the QB from that equation, just because he’s a QB, what is a defender supposed to do? Defend the QB like he’s a basketball player on a give-and-go?

That would be great for the 49ers today. Maybe not so great for the 49ers defense when it goes up against Wilson and RG3, but Harbaugh right now is plotting his case for Kaepernick and Kaepernick only.

… or just maybe Harbaugh is just putting it out there so referees might afford Kaepernick some protection, perhaps call a penalty or two that they might not normally have.

Of course, that’s not to say that NFL referees are influenced comments by prominent coaches or anything like that.

sffranscian

Cheap shots like the Clay Matthews’ hit today are bad for the game. Stars make the NFL and no one wants to see Colt McCoy (or the back ups in Seattle, Denver, New England, Indy…).

It is obvious the NFL has a real problem. More violence against players who don’t even have the ball when they’re hit is terrible pr, and the league and its owners have too many lawyers on their rich behinds at the moment.